The Asian Development Bank (ADB) awarded PRIMEX the contract for the Lao Quality Health Care Project (QHCP) (TA 9723-REG) on 13 December 2019. The Ministry of Health (MOH) is serving as the implementing agency for this Transaction Technical Assistance (TRTA) grant which will support MOH in improving its health system capacity to deliver high-quality health care services. The project will run from 15 December 2019 to 31 October 2020.
“Health projects are among the core strengths of PRIMEX. We have been aiming to do more projects in the Greater Mekong Sub-region so this Lao TRTA is timely. We want to grow our experience in Laos and I am glad that we have an excellent consultant team who will deliver the required services to MOH and ADB,” said Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza, PRIMEX President and CEO.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ADB and MOH led by Ms. Ye Xu and Dr. Founkham, respectively, was signed with the assistance of the TRTA consultants on 22 January 2020 at the end of the ADB Inception Review Mission. The consultants also met with senior MOH officials at the central level and with the World Health Organization (WHO) officials to discuss the proposed project’s scope and seek their views, inputs, and suggestions related to its design.
TRTA Team Leader and Health Human Resource Specialist Ms. Juliet Fleischl presented the results to the Minister of health and other senior officials of MOH and the University of Health Sciences on 26 February 2020. The other international consultants are now preparing inputs to the draft Report and Recommendations of the President to the Board of Directors (RRP) and linked documents, including the Project Administration Manual (PAM).
The Consultant Team includes Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza, PRIMEX President and CEO and Project Director; Mr. Conleth Heron (Financial Management Specialist); Mr. Alan Cairns (Health Economist); Mr. Greesh Kumar Sharma (Procurement Specialist); Ms. Christine Izha Lao (Gender and Social Development Specialist); Mr. Felix Noel Pascua, Jr. (Environmental Safeguard Specialist); Ms. Maria Lyra Estaris (Social Safeguards Specialist); and Architect Takatsugo Shimada (Architect/Health Facility Management Specialist). The national consultants are composed of Mr. Saysana Keoinnavong (Procurement Specialist), Mr. Thongleck Xiong (Financial Management Specialist), Ms. Deuandara Syakounmane (Gender and Social Development Specialist), and Ms. Souksakhone Sihalath (Environment and Social Safeguards Specialist).
They are working closely with their counterparts in MOH led by Dr. Founkham Rattanavong, Director General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation (DPC) and TRTA Project Director.
Meeting with the Deputy Minister
Inception Mission Group Photo
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding
Discussions on field led by Archictect Takatsugu Shimada